According to a recent Nielsen survey, most Americans use digital and electronic tools to manage everyday activities except when it comes to healthcare. In fact, only one in five have access to online appointment scheduling. To create a more connected patient experience and improve patient outcomes, WESTMED Medical Group announced its partnership with BridgePatient Portal and adoption of the new mHealth App Platform developed by Medical Web Experts (MWE) that offers easy access to all information on the BridgePatient Portal from an iOS or Android device. WESTMED is a large multi-specialty group medical practice, Level 3 Medical Home and AMGA Acclaim Award honoree headquartered in Purchase, NY.

“WESTMED’s adoption of BridgePatient Portal and the mHealth App Platform was in direct response to our patients’ request to communicate from a mobile device with their care providers,” said WESTMED Medical Group CIO Merin Joseph. “We know engaging patients is always challenging, so we sought to cater to how our patients want to communicate and to make that communication convenient. The physician provides the advice, but the patient has to put the care plan into place and seek to actively manage his or her health. This solution will enrich the patient experience, increase patient involvement in their healthcare, improve care coordination, enhance patient-physician communication and-most importantly-improve patient outcomes. In short, this tool will provide patients with a way to actively participate in their own health and wellness.”

BridgePatient Portal and the mHealth App Platform from MWE met WESTMED’s requirements for a portal that was modern, patient-centric, secure and had bi-directional interface abilities with their existing GE Centricity Business and EMR products. In addition, BridgePatient Portal will help increase the volume of patients directly connecting with their physicians and empower patients to be more involved in their care through its easy-to-use, graphical interface that enables patients to find their medical records, view lab results, schedule appointments, access urgent care wait times, message with providers, access patient education, pay bills and more from their desktop or mobile device.

WESTMED Medical Group is nationally known as a thought leader for its leading-edge approach to healthcare delivery. Over the last 10 years, WESTMED, a Medicare ACO, has received national recognition for its highly-integrated information systems that have improved patient care and from the NCQA for Level 3 Medical Home, Diabetes Recognition Program and Physician Organization in Credentialing and Recredentialing. According to Joseph, implementing innovative technologies in healthcare requires significant effort by both the technology vendor and the healthcare organization.

“WESTMED’s implementation, once released, will be among the most innovative patient portal and mobile app solutions in the market, and is only made possible through this newly formed partnership,” said BridgePatient Portal and Medical Web Experts CEO John Deutsch. “WESTMED continues to make market leadership choices that address current and future healthcare challenges. This solution will allow patients to access important information and communicate with their care team anywhere and anytime from their device of choice.”